Farrah Abraham had such a good run going on. The designated "bad mom" of the first two seasons of MTV's Teen Mom franchise was so totally blown out of the water by the train wreck that is pot-smoking, girl-fighting Jenelle Evans that we almost forgot she even existed. She's been quiet for months, ostensibly hanging with her daughter Sophia just being a regular mom. But she's baaaaaack.
And let me just say going in that you were warned of her Sophia ignoring, mama fighting past. Because Farrah's new attempt to cash in on the MTV "fame" comes in the form of her own website, complete with awful spelling and evidence that of all the things she learned in culinary school, the contents of feta cheese is not one of them. It's a glaring sign that life post-MTV is anything but rosy.
I'm a fan of the show for a number of reasons, and I'll cop to loving that fly on the wall, rubbernecking feeling at a disaster scene. But I'll defend it for what I've seen as good for American youth overall. The kids I've talked to one-on-one who have watched the show, many with their moms at their sides, tell me flat-out they found it terrifying. They're not looking to lose their childhoods anytime soon. In that respect, it's done a service to American parents and teens.
But what happens to the stars themselves irks me. It's unclear what MTV provides for them. We have everything from Evans being "homeless" on the show to Amber Portwood claiming she makes some $280,000 a year. The reality is more likely to fall somewhere in between, but it won't last. Even if MTV puts up college funds for the babies of the Teen Moms, the channel is not a meal ticket.
Which brings us to Farrah. We saw her struggling onscreen to finish culinary school, a feat she claims to have done on her new site. She has an associate (sic) dual degree from the Metropolitan School of Culinary Arts and is working toward a bachelors (sic) from an "art institute" in Florida. Her hope is to star in a food show. Which would be easier to stomach if the "Farrah and Sophia" section of the site wasn't currently focused on a "vegan" salad made with feta cheese ... a substance usually made of sheep's or goat's milk. Ahem, Farrah? Vegans don't eat anything made of an animal product. Don't expect the restaurants to be calling soon.
For that matter, her future in business is shaking if she maintains a site riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. A sample:
Farrah is very passionate about all of these topics and wants to see The Nations economy become stronger with her help on these issues. Farrah has been hard working on her education and through her real life experiences she now has become an inspirational person and role model to many.
In this job market, if a resume comes in with that many errors in two sentences, chances are pretty good the person's not getting an interview. A kind, understanding person might grit their teeth and give the applicant a chance to explain themselves. But Abraham hasn't just offered that to one prospective employer. That's out there for the world to read as she attempts to make a life for herself and Sophia.
Despite her past, I can't help feeling badly for Farrah. She grew in leaps and bounds episode by episode of Teen Mom, and Jenelle certainly proved we weren't giving her a fair shake. But her stint on the show will keep her in the public's eye; it seems to be what prompted her to make her ill-advised website. And in the end, it could be a serious mark against her.
Do you think Farrah would have been better off if she'd never done the show?
Image via MTV